


love is all around

by ahtohallan_calling



Series: planes, trains, and automobiles [1]
Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Modern AU, and they're stuck on a plane together, anna is a children's book author, kristoff is a professor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22134031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahtohallan_calling/pseuds/ahtohallan_calling
Summary: Anna is not looking forward to being stuck on a plane for four hours.And then her seat neighbor turns out to be a giant Scandinavian man with gorgeous eyes who lets her hold onto him when she gets nervous about the plane taking off.Maybe this flight won't be so bad after all.
Relationships: Anna/Kristoff (Disney)
Series: planes, trains, and automobiles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1596367
Comments: 18
Kudos: 126





	love is all around

**Author's Note:**

  * For [jericks3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jericks3/gifts).



_Why_ , Anna thought irritably, _do I always get stuck in a middle seat?_

At least she was the first one there in her row, so she had a chance to get settled before she said goodbye to elbow room for the next four hours. She was in the middle _middle_ seat, too, right in the center of the plane so she couldn’t even get a peek out the window. As she pulled out her phone, flicking through her Netflix downloads, she felt someone sit next to her and inwardly groaned; she could tell just from the glimpse she got out of the corner of her eye that it was someone huge. 

She dared a more blatant glance and, to her surprise, saw that her new neighbor was looking back. 

“Hello,” he said, his voice surprisingly soft, with a slight accent she couldn’t quite place. “Sorry if I bumped into you just then.”

“No trouble,” she breathed, when what she wanted to say was _bump into me any time._

He offered her a small, lopsided smile, and she felt her heart skip a beat; when he turned his attention back to the massive book in his hands, she kept her gaze on him for just a moment, trying to figure out what it was exactly that made him so damn attractive. His hair was _definitely_ part of it, all blond and shaggy, and so was the stubble that darkened his jaw. His nose, too, was the sort of nose you wanted to kiss all over, but that still wasn’t quite it, and if she kept staring he was going to notice, and so instead she returned her focus to her phone screen. 

Her sister had just texted her, and she opened the message quickly, hoping to fire off a response before she had to turn on airplane mode. 

_Hope you don’t get caught in the storms. Can’t wait to see you! Lots of love._

And, right on cue, because nothing in Anna’s life could go right today, the PA system crackled on, and the pilot announced the plane would be grounded for at least an hour to avoid the lightning. 

She couldn’t hold back her groan as she flopped back in her seat, and the man next to her shot her an amused glance. It was his eyes, she realized, that made him so handsome; they were the most lovely shade between hazel and chestnut brown, and soft somehow, full of warmth even as he looked at the stranger next to him throwing a temper tantrum. 

“Sorry,” she mumbled sheepishly, feeling her cheeks grow warm. 

He grinned at her, slow and crooked again. “No trouble. I’m sure we’re all feeling the same way.”

He returned to his book, and she to her phone, finally deciding to watch _Love, Actually_ for the twenty zillionth time. She knew every line by heart and still never got tired of it; it was her comfort movie, and she sure as hell needed some comfort right now. Just as Hugh Grant came on screen, a flight attendant passed down the aisle, and Anna’s gaze instinctively flickered up at the movement— and her neighbor’s flickered away from her screen. 

She dared to peek at him as he stared resolutely ahead as if he were deep in thought, but when she turned her gaze back to her phone she kept tabs on him out of the corner of her eye. He was _definitely_ watching her screen instead of reading whatever that massive book was. She couldn’t blame him; that thing looked terrible. 

And then a wicked, _wicked_ idea came to her: she went to the menu and turned the subtitles on. 

This time the peek she dared was bolder, and to her delight, the man’s cheeks were bright red. “I always think movies are so much better when you know what they’re saying, don’t you?” she asked nonchalantly, and his blush deepened. 

“Sorry,” he stammered, “I just— _god,_ this book is dull, and I saw Liam Neesom so I thought maybe it was an action movie, but there’s a whole lot of hugging going on for that, so I—“

She held up one of her earbuds. “You could have just asked to watch with me.”

That smile was tugging at the corner of his lips again. “May I?”

“You may.”

He was an excellent fellow audience member, chuckling under his breath at all the right parts. Just as it was starting to get _really_ good, the PA crackled back to life, and Anna hit pause. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for takeoff!”

Everyone around her either cheered or let out a sigh of relief, but Anna couldn’t help but wince. This was always her least favorite part, even worse than landing. The man, somehow, seemed to notice. “Not to be too forward or anything,” he said as the plane began to move forward and pick up speed, “but if you get nervous during this part, you can grab my hand. I always did that to my mom when I was a kid.”

“No, no, I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Anna reassured him, and then the wheels left the ground with an awfully loud noise that sounded to her like the wings were falling right off, and she let out a little squeak and found herself clinging to his forearm so tightly even he let out a huff of surprise. But he didn’t pull away; instead, he met her nervous gaze and said softly, “It’s gonna be okay. Trust me.”

And somehow, she did. She kept her eyes on him as the plane continued to ascend, already rocking with turbulence. “I’m Anna.”

“Kristoff.”

“I’d shake your hand, but I think we’re a bit past that point by now,” she said, squeezing his arm for emphasis and trying not to blush again when he realized how _muscley_ he was. Another jolt shuddered through the plane, and her other hand went instinctively to clamp onto his arm as well, the only solid thing she could find. “Sorry,” she muttered, but he just shook his head.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m not fragile,” he said with a wink.

At last, the plane’s trajectory started to smooth once more, and she tilted her phone up. “Ready to keep watching?”

He nodded, looking genuinely excited. She couldn’t help but smile. “Have you really never seen this before? It’s a classic.”

Kristoff shrugged. “Guess it’s not in Norway.”

“Oh-- is that where you’re from?”

“Yes, from Stavanger. I’ve lived there my whole life. And you?”

“I’m just from here. Well-- there. Colorado, I mean. Where we’re going.”

“Anna from Colorado,” he said, and the way he said it so carefully made her smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Even though I nearly tore your arm off?”

He grinned. “I’ve had worse happen on a flight.”

They watched the movie in companionable silence again, only breaking it when the flight attendant came around with the drink cart. They both got ginger ale-- “not copying you,” Anna had insisted, and he’d said, “no worries, everyone knows it tastes better on a plane”, and then they both turned back to the movie with faint smiles.

She kept sneaking little glances at Kristoff, grateful that he really did seem focused on the movie. His eyes-- the color of perfectly brewed tea, she’d decided-- were intent on the tiny screen, and a little thrill went down her spine when she wondered what it might feel like if he turned that focus on _her_. Next, she let her gaze trail down his profile, feeling a funny little twinge in her chest as she noticed the freckles peppered over his nose, and wondering again what it would be like to kiss that nose, internally chastising herself for thinking about making out with a stranger just because he was watching her favorite movie with her and had let her hold onto him and had the sweetest eyes she’d ever seen.

(Who was she kidding? She’d kissed guys for worse reasons.)

He shifted a little, and for a moment she was worried he’d noticed her looking, but then she realized he was trying his utmost to angle himself away from her, staying as small as he could in the tiny seat so he wouldn’t bump into her-- a nearly impossible feat considering how _broad_ his shoulders were. How had she not noticed that yet? And he had to be tall, too, judging by how his knees were crammed up against the seat in front of him.

“Kristoff?”

He tore his eyes away from Keira Knightley doing something Keira Knightley-esque. “Hmm?”

“It’s okay if you bump into me some. I’m, um…” She trailed off, feeling herself blush as he _did_ , in fact, meet her gaze with that intense look in his eyes. “I’m littler than you. So I’m not taking up all the space. Already sharing my phone, right? Might as well share my seat. But no getting mad if I fall asleep on you.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he said, a relieved look on his face when he shifted slightly so he wasn’t so crammed into the tiny space. His knees bumped his tray table, nearly spilling the remnants of his ginger ale, and he flushed slightly. “Are you sure you don’t mind? I don’t want to make you feel squished.”

“Again, I already squished the life out of your arm. I owe you one.”

There was almost an awkward moment as they decided who would retain control of the armrest between them, but then Anna huffed in frustration and pressed the button, lifting it. Kristoff raised an eyebrow.

“Rather have you pressing into me than that, anyway,” she said, immediately turning the same shade of red as her hair when she realized what she’d just said.

He blushed, too, and they both looked back at the phone screen. Hesitantly, he scooted a little closer towards her, his arm pressing against hers, and she angled herself carefully against him, hoping it seemed like she only did it to make them both more comfortable and not so she could nestle herself against his shoulder (which, as it turned out, felt just as solid and wonderful as his arm.)

She dared another little peek and realized he was smiling-- and that she was, too.

As it got to the bit where Emma Thompson found out her husband (the absolute bastard!) had cheated on her to the strains of Joni Mitchell, Anna felt Kristoff stiffen slightly next to her. Anna looked up at him, more than a bit misty-eyed herself, and saw a sudden sadness in his eyes. He glanced down at her and wordlessly offered her a tissue. 

“Thanks. This part just kind of...hits home,” she admitted.

He nodded. “Me, too.”

She glanced down, feeling bare somehow when he looked at her like that, and realized his knees still looked awfully cramped. “You can, um, stretch out a little over here if you want. I don’t mind.”

“I’m okay, really. Wouldn’t want you to end up sitting in my lap-- I mean, not that _I’d_ mind,” he added hastily, “but you might.”

It was his turn to blush scarlet. Neither of them looked up again until the credits rolled. Anna peeked at Kristoff and saw he was already looking at her with a small smile.

“So...did you like it?” she asked shyly.

“Yeah. Glad you let me watch with you instead of telling me to stop being a creep.”

She laughed, and his smile broadened. “Don’t worry, I could tell you weren’t one.”

He leaned closer, just a fraction. “How could you tell?”

She needed to look away, or else she was going to do something a hell of a lot riskier than letting a stranger hold her phone. “Just could. Here-- mind letting me out to go pee?”

It was the least sexy thing she could think of to say, and it broke the spell. He moved quickly out of her way and stood in the aisle, which immediately put her right back to thinking _oh my god how is he so hot?_

“Jesus-- no wonder you looked so uncomfortable,” she said, the words spilling out before she could stop herself. “How tall are you?”

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, seeming suddenly acutely aware of the fact that she had to tilt her head back to meet his gaze now. “Um. Six four on a good day.”

“Guess today’s a very good day, then,” Anna said, turning and quickly going down the aisle before she regretted saying something so bold.

But it was too late; by the time she was washing her hands, she had convinced herself she’d go back out and find that he had requested to move to another seat. “Pull yourself together,” she muttered under her breath, splashing some cold water on her reddened cheeks. “He’s just some guy on a plane you’ll never see again.”

Still, before she left the tiny restroom, she’d done her best to smooth her hair and curl her eyelashes using her fingers. She nearly stumbled coming back down the aisle as the plane rocked and the “fasten seatbelt” sign pinged on. And then she _did_ fall as she reached her row, just in time for Kristoff to catch her against his chest as he stood up to let her in.

“Sorry,” she stammered, just as he asked, “All good?”

They both nodded, but neither of them pulled away until the plane jolted again. He let go quickly, but she could still feel the phantom warmth of his hands against her shoulders as she settled back into her seat. 

“Grab onto me again if you need to,” he said, fastening his seatbelt.

She almost told him she’d be fine, that this part didn’t bother her, but then she noticed that his face had gone a little pale, and so she held out her hand for him, fingers spread. “That’d be nice,” she said, a little shy even though there was no point to that anymore, really; there was no more pretending that they were still strangers. He laced his fingers through hers, and she couldn’t help but notice his hand was almost twice the size of hers. She squeezed it slightly, and Kristoff squeezed back.

“So, um,” she asked, hoping to distract him from the turbulence and herself from the way her heart had just sped up, “what do you do? Like for a job?”

“I’m an adjunct professor. Scandinavian studies, mostly folklore.”

She hadn’t expected him to be an academic, but she found she liked the thought of him sitting behind a desk in a cozy office, asking her to close the door behind her as she came in for a _private_ meeting--

_Focus, Anna._

“Oh, that’s cool. Is that what the book you were reading was about?”

“Yes, it’s an overview of the roles animals play in some of the old fairy tales. Fascinating subject, really, but the author managed to make it boring anyway. Tends to happen with a lot of the research I read. What about you, what do you do for a living?”

“I, um, I write fairy tales. Well, sometimes, kind of. I write children’s books. And do the art, sometimes, but I’m still not very good at that part.”

“Any chance I’ve read anything you’ve written?”

“Very funny.”

“No, I’m serious. I’ve been focusing on children’s stories recently and done quite a lot of field research.”

“Um...now that you mention it, I did do one recently about the polar bear king, but I seriously doubt you would have gotten it over in Norway…”

His eyes lit up. “Anna _Agnardottir_?”

She blinked. “Oh my god, you really read it?”

“Of course! Anna, it’s won half a dozen awards. It’s my favorite version of the story I’ve read, and trust me, that’s saying something. And your _paintings--_ ”

She was even redder than she had been before when she’d made that awkward comment about pressing. “It-- well-- I just-- um. I’m glad you liked it.”

“I was thinking about making it required reading for one of the classes I’m teaching next semester, actually.”

“Now you’re just saying things to be nice.”

“No, I mean it. What a coincidence, huh? That I ended up getting to sit next to you? Remind me to get your autograph before we go.”

She was saved from coming up with a response by the plane dropping suddenly. A little involuntary gasp escaped her, and she felt Kristoff’s hand tighten around hers. She looked up and saw his jaw was clenched.

“It’s gonna be okay,” she said softly, echoing his earlier words. “Trust me.”

His gaze slid to hers, softening slightly when their eyes met. Neither of them looked away, even when the plane steadied once more, even when his hand loosened around hers and he started running his thumb against hers in a gentle caress.

The pilot’s voice came over the PA system again. “Looks like another couple hours to go, folks, we’ll have to circle the city for a while and wait our turn. Sorry for the delay.”

Anna wrinkled her nose. “Seems like the powers that be really don’t want this plane to land anytime soon, huh?”

“Guess not,” Kristoff said, but he sounded distracted somehow as he tore his gaze away from her.

“We can, um, we can watch another movie if you want. Except my phone’s about to die soon, so--”

“That’s okay. I, um. I’m kind of tired.”

She let go of his hand at last, and he looked almost disappointed. “Don’t let me bother you, then. It’s been a long day for us all, huh?”

He leaned back in his seat. “You haven’t been bothering me at all.”

Anna bit her lip. “I’m, um. I’m kind of tired too. But I forgot my pillow, and since your shoulder’s already kind of here in my space, and we’ve really kind of crossed all the normal plane etiquette boundaries, so, um, is it okay if maybe I could--”

A smile played at the corners of his mouth. “You don’t even have to ask. I’m more than happy to be your personal pillow.”

This time both of them blushed, but she still looped her arm around his, nuzzling her cheek against his shoulder as she settled in. She hadn’t realized how tired she was until now, when, with her face pressed against the comforting warmth of his shoulder and sweater, she felt just as cozy as she would at home in her own bed. 

“Sleep tight, Kristoff,” she mumbled against the knitted fabric, and she felt him shake slightly against her as he let out a rumbly little laugh.

“Sweet dreams, Anna,” he said softly, and even though she’d known him for all of four hours she couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to hear that every night for the rest of her life.

She didn’t wake up again until the wheels of the plane hit the ground; she jolted upright, nearly slamming her face into Kristoff’s chin. She would have if he hadn’t jumped suddenly, too; their eyes met, and they both flushed slightly as they realized that somehow his arm had migrated around her shoulders and that her head had been nestled against his chest. 

“Sorry--” they both started at the same time, and then both of them grinned as they realized neither of them felt particularly sorry at all. 

They both lingered as the aisles filled with people who, unlike them, were eager to get off the plane. A four-hour flight turning into a seven-hour one suddenly felt a lot less like a huge misfortune, and Anna found herself wishing that one last storm might just hit and hold them up a little longer. Then Kristoff was standing, pulling away from her so he could grab a suitcase from the overhead bin and hand it carefully to the little old lady across the aisle.

“Thank you so much, young man,” she said with a twinkling smile. “I hope you and your wife there have a pleasant rest of your day. You two remind me of my husband and I, you know, God rest his soul.”

“I…” Kristoff said, glancing back at Anna. A little smile tugged at his lips. “Thank you, ma’am, we appreciate that.”

He helped her with her bag, too, before getting his own, and for a moment they just stood in the aisle looking at each other.

“Well,” he said softly. “It was certainly nice meeting you today, Anna.”

“You, too,” she said, shy again. “I, um. I hope you enjoy your time in Colorado. When are you flying back to Stavanger?”

“Oh, not for a while, I’d imagine,” he said, that lopsided smile growing on his face. “I’ve just taken a job with the University of Colorado.”

“That-- that wouldn’t happen to be the one in Boulder, would it?”

Somehow his smile grew even more. “It would.”

Someone cleared their throat, and they both looked up to see that the flight attendants were trying to clean the cabin. They shuffled quickly through the aisle and to the jet bridge; Anna nearly tripped over the wheels of her suitcase when she looked up at him again. “So-- um-- if you still want my autograph…”

“Definitely. For research purposes, of course.”

“Well, I might be persuaded to give you my number along with it.”

They reached the baggage claim area, and he immediately fumbled through his pockets for a pen. Neither of them had any paper, so he pulled the massive book from his backpack and held it out to her. She signed her name with a flourish, dotting the “i” with a heart, and wrote her number carefully beneath it. 

Kristoff grinned at it and slid the book into his bag so he could hold out his hand to her. She took it gladly. “So,” he began, those beautiful brown eyes sparkling as he looked down at her, “if you’re not too busy, I think maybe I might put that number to use tomorrow night.”

“I guess I could make time in my schedule.”

“Movie date?”

She squeezed his hand. “Perfect.”

He helped her wheel her bag out to the front and set off in search of a taxi for himself. Elsa came running over, arms already held out for a hug. Anna caught her with a laugh. “Missed you, too.”

Elsa held onto her tightly, letting out a relieved sigh. “What bad luck hitting all that shitty weather, huh?” she said with a sympathetic grimace. 

Anna looked across the arrivals hall, sighting a pair of honey-brown eyes that were already watching as their owner made his way back over to her. She grinned, and so did he. 

“Nah, not so bad after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> this fic is dedicated to johanna/reindeersweaters/jericks3 who sent me the idea for anna turning on subtitles for kristoff while i was on a plane! thanks for giving me such a cute suggestion and for being such a great friend and writing buddy!
> 
> thank you gabi/gabiwnomagic for teaching me all about tall people plane problems!
> 
> thank you to brit/thenameisbritney/romanticsanders and john/somecallmejohn for helping me decide which parts of kristoff anna would get the most hung up on!
> 
> thank you kai/faerytold for beta reading part of this for me!
> 
> y'all are the best!! kisses and hugs xoxo


End file.
